


Hunted Down

by Khorevis



Series: Through dark paths until light [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, Heavy Angst, Self-Harm, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Unbelievable Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-05 15:44:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13391022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khorevis/pseuds/Khorevis
Summary: Just as things seemed to get better, they collapse.A new villain joins the party, and Hawk Moth is more than happy for the distraction he causes.But the true villain is the scared, confused people, whom will do anything to calm their fears. Even murdering two innocents.Adrien and Marinette haven't gone through their past yet, and a new challenge is already waiting for them.Following the events of Unsure and Alone





	1. Chapter 1

Breakfast was, at the same time, terribly awkward and extremely pleasant. Marinette, Adrien, Sabine and Tom ate all together in the kitchen, consuming enough croissant to feed the whole city for a month. Adrien wasn't used to abundant meals, having been on a diet for most of his life, but he turned out to be a voracious eater, who easily outmatched both Sabine and Tom. Strangely, it seemed normal to him to eat that much. Not even as Chat he had ever done something like that.

«So, Adrien, would you like to come to live with us?», nonchalantly asked Sabine, smiling kindly as he almost choked on his eighth croissant.

Almost, because Marinette had already told him they would adopt him, and even if he hadn't answered, his decision had been crystal clear to her. «I... y-yes».

«But there is a little problem with this», continued Sabine, trying to play it off but failing as both teenagers' eyes widened in concern. «You two would have to treat each other like sister and brother...».

Adrien was the one who got it first, also because he had treated Marinette as a sister for so long that he knew perfectly well which were the differences. «And so we wouldn't be able to... be in a relationship».

Marinette's eyes widened again, this time in realisation. Before she could say a word, however, Tom decided to break the heavy atmosphere.

«It's not that bad, we already have a solution... but why don't we watch some TV in the meantime?». Without waiting for response, he turned on the device and selected the News Channel. A bad choice at a bad time, as it turned out.

Nadia Chamack was on the screen, alongside with the person Marinette wanted to see last in the world, except maybe for Hawk Moth. Not just she hated her sight, but she also made her remember their short argument. However, she smiled as she thought how Adrien had defended her, even if a bit harshly.

Chloe Burgeois was on live. And she was speaking, arrogantly as ever, to Mrs Chamack.

«...nal who is active in Italy, and I've of course alarmed a friend of mine, who is Italian, to do everything in his power to help sort this out, but I wanted to warn every Parisian of the danger».

«Thank you very much, Chloe...», Nadia was cut off by the girl's huff.

«It's Miss Burgeois, if you may».

«... Miss Burgeois... for the informations you gave us. You know this is a scoop no sane reported would turn down, but why did you decide to just make a public statement. You could have gained quite something by selling your video. Why did you just gift it to our company?».

«It's important, of course, for everyone to see it, so I couldn't wait. I had to let everyone know. I informed my friend as soon as the fight was over».

Marinette paled. If Chloe was talking about hurrying, then there was only one fight that could end up on TV. Hers. She felt Adrien's arms slide around her waist and pull her close, relaxing her even just a bit.

«This is very noble of you, C... Miss Burgeois», said Mrs Chamack, looking a bit surprised. «Oh, looks like our team has finally come up with something», she added, amused, as a voice told her so in her earpiece.

«And so?».

«It appears that they found something about this guy you were talking about... Scorpione... it seems he's...».

«I told you, it's not "he". It's "she"».

«...she's got quite a reputation». Then speaking to the computerists nobody could see, she added: «Could you please send a representation on the screen?».

While the employers hurried to oblige, she scrolled the file she had just received on her tablet, and what she read she didn't like. And then a large image flashed on the screen behind them.

It represented a young man, about twenty-two or twenty-three, in a skin-tight scarlet suit. On the suit -that looked really like red leather-, there was a black armour very similar to Crimson Lady's, even if it covered less parts of his body, complete with a mask and a diadem, both nightsky black. The mask was very similar to Chat's or Ladybug's, but had spikes protruding from its sides, and somehow seemed to flatten his face, making him appear as a hybrid between a human and an insect. His diadem also had three horn-like extensions, one vertical and two perpendicular horizontal ones. The vertical one was longer than the others, and ended with a small diamond-like shape that Adrien didn't like in the slightest. Another analogy with Chat was his tail, even if -unlike Chat- had a scorpion-like tail that ended with a stinger. Even it was black.

«This is the infamous Scorpione, that we would call Scorpion, an Italian criminal who has been terrorizing many cities, as he often moves to avoid the law. Our sources also say that he is highly dangerous and masters the art of sword fighting like few others».

Another image propped up on the screen. It was a video, that hadn't started yet.

«His sword, Pungiglione or Stinger as he calls it, seems to be indestructible, as until now it never suffered from any kind of damage, included rust». She pressed play.

On the screen, Scorpione straightened and looked around him, snickering as he saw the reporters. With one fluid movement, he grabbed the vertical spike of his diadem and pulled it off, together with the two horizontal ones. Just as Adrien finally guessed what it really was, a long red blade sprung from the hilt of the now-clear sword. With an evil chuckled, Scorpione then charged the cameraman and the feed was cut.

«Scorpione is a very dangerous individual indeed», continued Nadia. «As this far he hadn't seemed interested in leaving Italy, so the question is: why should he have travelled to Paris?».

Marinette and Adrien tightened their hug unconsciously. The question was bringer of bad news, they could feel it.

Another video substituted the sword one. As it began to play, Marinette cringed, causing Adrien to tighten his embrace. He felt her shivering. On the screen, Crimson Lady was speaking to Alya, and seconds later the brunette gave her her phone. He felt Marinette stiffen in his arms and buried her head in his chest to avoid her to look. At the same time, he warned the Dupain-Chengs of what was awaiting.

They both turned.

On the screen, Crimson Lady was shouting at Alya. He closed his eyes just in time, and kept them closed as he heard again Alya's screams and the Akuma's cackling. The video continued for a bit longer, and then ended. Then and only then, he dared to open his eyes.

«Your point, Miss Burgeois, is that you think there could be analogies between the recent Akuma attack and this Scorpione?», asked Nadia, her voice sounding a bit sick.

«My point, Nadia, is that I think they are the same entity».

«What do you mean? Could you explain this for us?».

«Very well, then». Chloe crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knees. Absent-mindedly, Adrien noticed how much more endearing the gesture was when it was Marinette the one doing it. «I've done some research. Apparently, Scorpione seems to be an evil Miraculous wielder just like Chat Noir».

«Excuse me?».

«Chat Noir, I said Chat Noir». The blonde scoffed. «Isn't it obvious? A power of pure destruction, dressed in black, bringer of bad luck, never the one to actually save the day, mind-controlled multiple times... I've read somewhere the theory he could be a demon. I find it pretty fitting, don't you think?».

Marinette literally tried to throw herself at Chloe's throat, but Adrien held her tightly. Also because it was just an innocent TV with no fault.

«Ehm... Interesting matter, miss, but could you please go back to Scorpione?».

«Of course, Nadia». Chloe smiled indulgently. «He is indeed very dangerous, although the fact he can't use black moths to control people makes him actually less dangerous than Hawk Moth. You already saw his appearance and weapon of choice. His special power is called _Vendetta_ , and from what I've heard it makes him much faster and stronger than normal».

«Not exactly related to a scorpion».

«How is _Lucky Charm_ related to a ladybug? Or _Cataclysm_ to a cat?».

«You surely have a point, miss».

«This explains why the two Scorpiones aren't matching». She smiled again. «Someone stole the Miraculous from the first one and used it here in Paris».

«Who do you think this person is?».

«I don't _think_. I _know_ », snickered Chloe. «And I thought you guessed it too».

«Who?».

«The girl in the video», said the blonde. «Marinette Dupain-Cheng».

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really really short, just 8 thousands characters, but I have to sleep too. Also, it creates suspense.  
> I wanted to name the series "Arisen from Ashes", but then I chose this. Why?  
> Because I'm so God-damn hot. And in a bad way.  
> Meaning that I simply can't take the heat. It's full winter and here I am, writing this fanfiction, with a T-shirt. A shirt that, if I don't change it soon, will become a _sweat_ shirt. So I didn't want anything to do with ashes.  
> I cut Unsure and Alone because the title didn't fit any more. This new title fits much better now. I know it probably ended in kind of a hurry, but I couldn't help it.  
> Also, tomorrow exits a new episode of a show I'm watching, and I can't wait for it, so I need my beauty sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The better way to solve problems is to kiss them out of your mind.  
> No, not really

This time, it was Adrien the one to have to be held, otherwise the TV would have ended up pretty badly. The two things that prevented him from transforming and cataclysming the device were Tom and Sabine's presence, and of course Marinette.

«Adrien. Adrien». Her voice made its way to his brain and he turned, putting his revenge below her request. «Stay here. Please, stay here».

On the screen, Chloe continued.

«There are a few difference between the two, I know. To mention two, the tail and the lack of the mask. But the rest of the outfit matches perfectly». She sighed deeply. «I'm so sorry it had to be me to reveal this new criminal, because Marinette is one of my classmates and I thought she was a _friend_ ». The word came out layered with hurt, but everyone in the room didn't buy it.

«It really hurts to see how she had changed». Then she paused for effect. «Or maybe she has always been like this. I mean, this would explain also why Ladybug and Chat Noir weren't present at Adrien Agreste's two akumizations...».

«This is a topic we will discuss later, C... Miss Burgeois», said Mrs Chamack, coughing to catch her attention. «Why do you think this would matter?».

«Isn't it obvious?», asked Chloe, outraged. «They are always present at Akuma attacks. What could have held them, if not an equally powerful superhero, or supervillain?».

«Why should this Scorpione eliminate Paris's superheroes, if he's Italian?».

«The original Scorpione is Italian», corrected Chloe. «But if what I say is true, Marinette is French, so she could have the same interests as Hawk Moth. And we all know what Hawk Moth wants».

Her whole theory was so stretched that Marinette laughed. And laughed hard. Nobody would believe something so far-fetched. But then she noticed Adrien's expression. He was far more familiar with the TV world, he had been in there many times, and his expression was of pure horror mixed with fear.

«Adrien? W-What's wrong?».

He gulped dryly before answering. «They... They're gonna believe this, Marinette. It's too much of a scoop to let it slip». He turned to her, eyes wide in terror. «Mari... Mari, they're gonna believe this».

She felt the blood leave her face as she became as pale as Adrien. She heard her parent's sharp intakes of breath, and felt Adrien hugging her tighter, as if she was going to disappear anytime soon. However, her parents were far less used to TV and scoops, so they argued.

«This is absurd, Adrien», said Tom. «Why would they? It's clearly fake!».

«Mr Dupain-Cheng... Tom, I know that this is forged and Chloe won't _ever_ see the end of this, but sadly I also know journalists and reporters. It's forged, but there are enough matching details for them to hunt over it like hungry sharks. Crimson Lady _was_ armoured and with a red sword. To my akumizations _no one_ came. There _is_ a criminal called Scorpione in Italy. Mrs Chamack can't have forged the image and the video in such a short time after the Akuma». He shivered and Marinette felt her heart sink. «I... this will take a little while to settle, but it _will_ settle».

«Unless Ladybug _and_ Chat Noir make a public statement», argued Marinette, a plan forming up in her mind. «In that case, they will listen to u... them rather than to the news».

«What should w...they say?».

«The truth», she replied simply. «They weren't at your akumizations because unlike the others you were quick. I was akumized. Also, we have all seen the Miraculous healing light after Crimson Lady, and we all now it works only after an Akuma».

«...ion of the supermodel Adrien Agreste?», Mrs Chamack was saying.

«Oh, he's innocent right away. I was actually there the first time, and I caught the reason behind it. His so-called friends had betrayed him. And the second time... let's just say that Marinette Dupain-Cheng had influenced him during the two days between the two akumizations, so I can see why...».

«However, it is unheard for a person to be akumized twice», continued Nadia, undeterred. «Since today we are thick with news, why don't we dwell in this topic too? Do you think the new Scorpione has something to do with the increased Akuma attack rates? With the last, it has been four in six days. A real record for Hawk Moth».

«I actually don't think Scorpione and Hawk Moth would ever share power, so the answer is no, I don't think Scorpione is influencing the Akuma attacks. And if he is, only in the way everyone can, by upsetting people and turning them into potential victims».

«And yet nobody has ever been akumized twice», repeated the reporter. «How can you explain this?».

«I don't know why Hawk Moth targeted him twice. Maybe because Ladybug hadn't shown up at the attack, and so he believed Black Chaos could be his potential ticket for conquest?». She made a vague gesture. «I don't know exactly, and I surely don't know why are you even asking».

«Well, there is the rumour that Master Agreste actually deserved to be akumized». She paused for effect. «That he is evil by himself, and he wanted Hawk Moth to akumize him».

«Oh, this is absurd!», snapped Chloe. «Prove it».

«Well, Ladybug didn't show up at neither of the akumizations...».

«...but the healing light was spotted by every awake Parisian...».

«...his powers were far greater than most akumas. I mean, we had really terrifying Akumas, but most of them were -I beg you to pardon my term- hotheads. Master Agreste was a cold-blooded Akuma with a goal. And we all know how cold blood is way more dangerous than homicide fury. Hawk Moth is the living proof of it».

«What am I...». Nadia was cut off suddenly as Sabine turned off the TV.

«Mama, Papa, I... Adrien and I have to talk for a bit. In private», announced Marinette. «May we... go to our room? Or there is something we need to talk about?».

«Apart from the fact you are in danger -both of you-, no, there's nothing to talk about», said Tom, stiffly. «Is that enough?».

«I...». She tried to speak, but Adrien interrupted her, something he didn't do very often.

«Mr Dupain-Cheng, I know you are worried beyond imagination, but first we have to sort things out by ourselves... After all, _we_ are the primary targets...». He bit his lip, another thing unusual to him. «I know this will sound unkind and I know you are concerned, but I will nonetheless ask you to give us some time alone. We... really need to sort things out».

Marinette didn't like the formal Adrien she was hearing, but he seemed to convince her parents. They both nodded slowly, as if unwilling but with nothing to argue. Taking his hand, she guided him upstairs immediately, and only once they were safe in their room they decided to let go of the tension that had built up in them.

In her case, she collapsed on the bed, overwhelmed by the recent events. In his case, he began pacing forth and back, occasionally bursting out a frustrated hiss. They let themselves despair for two whole minutes before going back to the task.

«Okay, we will...».

«Marinette, do you trust me?». Adrien's question took her off-guard, and all she could do was to stare at him, frowning.

«W-What... what do you mean?».

He stopped in his tracks to face her. «Very soon, if we can't stop it, there will be plenty of people hating us. Do you _really_ trust me? Aren't you _scared_ of what I am?».

She was frozen. Her mind went back to the first day she had seen Adrien Agreste. That day, she thought he was a jerk and didn't even want to say a word to him. And then he apologized and explained her. He trust her enough to tell her he had never had friends before school. He had trusted her with something she could have used to mock him. And then he had given her his umbrella. She also remembered how he -as Chat- had persuaded her not to quit after Stoneheart. And every day after that, she had had him as a friend, both as Chat and Adrien. Everything he did had been kind, considerate and sweet.

Of course she trusted him.

«Adrien. Adrien, I trust you with my life. Adrien I trust you and I _love_ you. I thought I had made it clear». She dared a little smile, that then was lost in a sudden, terrible thought. «Adrien... d-do _you_?».

He looked at her. At her beautiful blue eyes. At her lips, so perfect and soft, and so damn _alluring_. At her raven hair, now free to fall on her shoulders like a waterfall of pure beauty, and the way it surrounded her face, emphasising her soft features. God, he was really heels over... _head over heels_. Her voice, so soothing and gentle. Her light freckles, that instead of "ruining" her perfection were the proof that she wasn't perfect, and so she was reachable. He could love her because she wasn't a goddess or something like that.

And suddenly just saying yes was no more _an_ option. First, it was the _only_ option. Second, a simple yes couldn't describe how he was feeling by just looking at her.

«Now I'm sure that there is no Goddess of Beauty, because she would have to be the most beautiful being ever, and here before me there is you, and you beauty encompass everything else. Whenever I think of me, I can't stop myself from seeing you too». While he talked, he lowered himself on the bed, his eyes still fixed in hers. «My life would be empty without you. You hold my whole heart and no one else will ever be able to take it away from you. You have my heart and my soul and my body and whatever you want of me. You have _me_. Forever».

Her cheeks had gone from a deep shade of red to something resembling purple more than red.

«I want to bury my nose in your hair and feel your perfume. I want to look in your eyes and get lost in them. I want to caress your skin and feel it soft under my hand. I want to kiss you, to savour your lips and then your mouth». He didn't even stopped to see what reaction she was having. Had he done it, he would have seen that she was literally trembling in anticipation, her blue eyes wide and her lips lightly parted. Had he seen her, he would have simply _lost. His. Mind_. «I want you to caress me. I want you to drag your hands in my hair. I want you to hold me tight. I want you to make me purr in pleasure and bliss. I want you to kiss me, to kiss me passionately and senselessly. I want _you_. And I want you to want _me_ ».

He had done it. The final kill. She could be declared dead and brought to her grave.

No. Not yet. There was one more thing she had to do.

«I want you», she managed to breathe before her hands -that had grown a will of their own, somehow, or maybe they were controlled by a part of her way less shy than she wanted to think- ran to his hair, tugging it slightly and dragging him in. He had said he wanted her to kiss him passionately and senselessly, and so she did. She would also have smiled at his surprised mewl, hadn't her mouth be so busy. In a second, he was already returning the kiss, deepening it and purring in her mouth. He would have been her death, and she would have been his.

As the make-out session heated up enough to fill the room with purrs -and not just from him-, mewls, moans and muffled hisses and growls -again, not just from the kitty-, the two other occupants of the room looked, respectively, quite annoyed and quite endeared.

«Do they really have to be so noisy?», the annoyed one stated, bored.

«You are just jealous because Adrien can find a way to get as many kisses as he wants, while you can't», retorted the endeared.

Then the annoyed whispered something in the endeared's ear, and in three seconds both of them had found a way to pass their time


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing.  
> Meaning: good people, get your ass out of bed and _do_ something!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the end of the previous chapter, Plagg and Tikki did not start kissing. They played Hide and Hunt for a couple of hours. (Or maybe it's Hide and Seek. I'm not familiar with the English term)  
> Also, I'm really busy 'cause I have to learn three programming languages and how to work with two frameworks and my bad internet connection is slowing everything down, so I'm busy and snappy and irritated and everything.  
> What's a better mood to write of bad things?

Saying that the crowd in front of the Eiffel Tower was immense would have been an understatement. At least a hundred thousands people were there, elbowing their way as near as they could to the Tower.

The number of their spectators did little to soothe their nerves. Actually, it just made them more nervous, and the fact that almost a thousand of said people was made up of journalists and reporters threw them in a restless panic that forced them to pace forth and back on their platform on the Eiffel Tower. Both of them knew perfectly well they should say something. Neither of them dared to start.

Finally, he turned to face her, stopping both of them by his change of pace. «Well, I think we should begin», he said. «I know that we have time, since Plagg and Tikki had the wonderful idea of stuffing themselves with food yesterday, but I think it would be better for us to start».

She sighed. «I-I guess you right», she agreed, standing up. «I... I just don't really feel fine as Ladybug any more».

«You don't feel fine as Ladybug _yet_ », he corrected. «You've been Ladybug for a long time. You'll handle this just fine, like you always do». There was deep trust in his words, something she wasn't sure to deserve.

«I... I guess the interviews won't get done by themselves, right?».

«It's never like this», he shook his head. «Believe me, they won't. Or at least, not in the way you wanted them to go».

«I...I-I guess you have a-a lot of e-experience».

«Unfortunately», he nodded, bitterly.

She almost apologized for her rudeness, but she swallowed her words as she realized that he wasn't upset by the remark and her words couldn't change his past.

«How do we start?».

«How do we usually start?».

«Usually?», she repeated, her eyes drifting to the crowd below. «Usually they are the ones whom ask, and we...».

«You».

«... _we_ just answer», she continued, forcefully. «We just have to get down and wait a microsecond».

«I guess you're right», he said. «Let's go?».

They turned to face the awaiting people, unconsciously closing the distance between themselves to hold hands. No one missed the intimate act, and no one missed the chance to pass a comment, be it an endeared sigh, a disappointed pout, or a salacious remark. And no one, of course, dared to mention it to the duo, for fear of making them break the moment and scaring them away from the tender gesture. A few... thousands bets were paid, the winners pocketing their prizes with smug smiles and the losers muttering curses under their breaths. Near the front line, Nino nudged Alya in the ribs and held out a hand, on which the reported grumpily placed twenty euros. She wasn't the only one to have thought that Ladybug's rejections would have continued forever.

Chloe Burgeois was fuming. She had just lost her four-hundreds-euros bet she had Nathaniel. Why couldn't those two imbeciles stay away from each other!? Or at least not hold hands publicly!? She was _really_ pissed off. Her idol, Ladybug, with that black scum-bag? She was on the verge of starting to shout, and she would probably have done it if Nathaniel hadn't put a hand on her shoulder and forced her to turn, take _many_ deep breaths and count to ten thousands. She didn't know why ten _thousands_ , but she began to count nonetheless.

On the Eiffel Tower, they were still unmoving.

«I-I think we should go».

«I guess s-so».

They didn't move.

«Should we go?».

«We should».

Again, they stayed immobile.

«Let's count, okay?».

«Okay».

«Three...».

«Two...».

  


«...one question!», shouted a reported as soon as the two landed. «What do you think about Adrien Agreste's recent akumizations?».

«Why didn't you show up at them?».

«Is Marinette Dupain-Cheng really a criminal?».

«What do you think about Nadia Chamack's statement?».

«What do you think about Miss Burgeois's statement?».

«Have you really been attacked by this mysterious Scorpione?».

«Is Adrien Agreste associated in any way with Hawk Moth?».

« _Is_ Adrien Agreste really Hawk Moth?».

« _Is_ Marinette Dupain-Cheng really Scorpione?».

«Do you have any clue about Hawk Moth's identity?».

«Which is your opinion about two akumizations as a crime?».

«Do you think the police should take under custody Master Agreste?».

«Or Miss Dupain-Cheng?».

«Was Adrien Agreste really a powerful Akuma?».

«Do you think he should be allowed to walk freely in our city?».

«Have you confronted Marinette Dupain-Cheng about her villain career?».

«What do you...».

«SILENCE!!!». Everyone jumped, startled, as Chat's voice cut through the incessant flow of question like hot steel through butter. In a second, he had the complete attention of all the reporters. «Since those questions _are_ important, it would be better if you give us the time to answer. So, please, ask _one_ question at a time».

Beside him, Ladybug straightened a bit after hearing his voice returning to a normal level. She had never heard _Chat_ shouting, and it wasn't an experience she was eager to repeat. Suddenly realizing that their fingers were still intertwined, she forced herself to remove her hand without whipping it away and brought it behind her back.

«Ladybug, what do you think about Nadia Chamack's statement this morning?».

«I think that despite what many think, the statement was a mistake. No one _attacked_ us, especially not another Miraculous user, and Adrien Agreste is just as innocent as any other Akuma. I'd say we should be sorry for him, after what he had to endure...».

«What about Miss Dupain-Cheng?».

«Marinette Dupain-Cheng is perfectly innocent», stated Chat, his eyes daring anyone to disagree. Nobody did, at least not directly. «She has been akumized just like every other victim. Not just that, she has been akumized because she felt sorry for Adrien Agreste, she wished she could do more and she felt powerless, and that guided Hawk Moth to her. Isn't this similar to every other victim's story?».

«Do you think Adrien Agreste is Hawk Moth?».

«Of course not!», burst out Ladybug. «He was often present during the past Akuma attacks, so he couldn't have caused them. Also, why would he akumized himself?».

«Should the police take into custody Miss Dupain-Cheng?».

«Please, ladies and gentlemen, listen to our answers», growled Chat, his tone icy. Well, being scary had its perks. «I said no more than twenty seconds ago that Marinette Dupain-Cheng is innocent. Since when innocent should be taken under custody?».

«Well, maybe because she's _not_ innocent?». The superhero duo didn't flinch as much in surprise as in exasperation. No one could miss Chloe Burgeois's voice in the silence after Chat's stern response. «I thought I told everyone. Marinette Dupain-Cheng is _clearly_ an evil Miraculous wielder. Sword, black armour on red suit, bloodthirsty...».

«Pardon me, Miss Burgeois», Chat interrupted her. «But I believe we can all say that _we_ were the ones to fight her. She was just like the other Akumas: a victim, not a villain».

«Pardon _me_ , Chat Noir», retorted Chloe, her tone _extremely_ arrogant. «But I'd like to hear Ladybug's opinion, not her sidekick's. And after this, don't ever dare speak to me again, Chat Noir. I won't lower myself to your level, _villain_ ».

Chat took a step back, his pupils going impossibly wide and his lips slightly parted in painful surprise. Less than a second later, everyone realized that Chloe's hadn't been a wise move.

« _Don't you dare speak like that to him!_ ». The crowd seemed to shrink away from Ladybug's rage. « _He's_ not _my sidekick! I couldn't defend Paris without him! And he's_ not _a villain! AND I WON'T LET A SPOILED LITTLE_ BRAT _INSULT HIM!!!_ ».

The explosion took less than ten seconds to be said, but the silence that followed stretched for far more. Finally, Chloe seemed to regain enough courage -or maybe it was stupidity, as the line between them is very thin- to frown at her.

«You know, Ladybug, if you are associated with him, then maybe you're not fit to defend Paris», she said, in the flattest and most wicked tone she could muster.

Ladybug went white.

Chat froze for a second. The second after, he was between Chloe and Ladybug -who had begun to cry silently- and stared at the blonde in front of him. He didn't need many words. He put everything he was feeling in just one look. His hurt at being called villain had evaporated, turning into burning anger. His words alone made Chloe shrink in fear. His eyes made her pale and run away terrified.

«Leave. Her. Alone», his mouth had said.

«Make her cry again, and I will _kill_ you», his eyes had said.

The press didn't need a confirmation to realize that the event was over. Definitely over. They began to pack their things, half of them cursing Chloe for her interruption and the other half blessing her for the flow of new informations that had originated. For example the couple Ladybug and Chat Noir _obviously_ were. Or how protective they were. Or how terrifying they were. Or in how much trouble someone could find themselves for hurting one of the two. Or just how lucky Hawk Moth was that he had never insulted them like Chloe did, otherwise his Akumas would have begun to last minutes instead of hours.

Nobody argued when Chat picked her up in bridal style -as she seemed frozen- and jumped away. Nobody argued as he left without a last statement. And surely nobody asked another question, for fear of attracting the terrifying rage of the owner of Cataclysm. The fact he never used his power on a person didn't mean he _couldn't_ , and nobody was eager to be the one to test it. Because the Cat Miraculous's wielder seemed to be in the right mood to start cataclysming nosy reporters.

  


Chat ran straight back home. In his arms, Ladybug continued to sob uncontrollably. His anger with Chloe was second only to his worry for his Lady. They reached her balcony, and he released his transformation at once, hers following shortly after. Their Kwamis seemed to understand the mood, and even Plagg disappeared without a whine about how tired and hungry he was. Adrien placed Marinette on her bed and hugged her tightly.

«Now I see why the whole school hated her», he hissed angrily. «Chloe's a bitch».

Marinette didn't even flinch at his rudeness -the word "bitch" actually sounded funnily said by him, due to his complete lack of experience in the field of cursing and insulting-, continuing to cry. He looked down at her, remembering another day, far in the past, where he had to comfort a heartbroken Ladybug that she _was_ good enough.

Enough.

He hated that word with all his strength. He hated to have to use it. He hated what it meant for him. He absolutely hated that it meant the same for her too. He shook his head. No, that word had damned his life. He wouldn't let it damn hers too. She was too important. She was too wonderful. And most important, she was still salvageable. He could still bring her back from that word. He could still put himself between her and that word.

And just like that, his own fear for enough vanished. He couldn't allow himself to fear his adversary when his Lady was at stake. He felt just like during Akuma attacks, when his fear was smothered by the need to protect her. He would always take the hit for her. That was why he was there.

«Mari».

She looked up, tears flowing freely from her hurt eyes.

«They were just words», he continued. «Words without a fact to uphold them. You save Paris on a daily basis. Chloe threw those words at you just to hurt you, and to do so she said the most horrible thing she could say».

«Hers were just words», he repeated, gently stroking her hair. «Yours are acts. Every day, you show you _can_ do it. There is no such thing as enough. Enough is just a word. If we compare ourselves to what we wanted us to be, then we will never be enough, and so we will never be happy».

«What we have to do is to try. We can only do something wrong if we surrender without trying. If you try, no matter how poorly you perform, then you succeeded. Because you tried. It's not the result, but the effort you put into it». He brought a hand to cup her cheek. «But if you're still worried about being enough, let me tell you that you are better than my wildest dream».

«And I'm serious».

Slowly, the corners of her lips tugged up in a tired, sad smile. It was so heartbreaking that the only thing he could think of doing was to lean down and kiss it away, turning it into a sincere one. The kiss didn't last long, as none of them was in the right mood for a kiss, but at least it made her cry a bit less.

«I'm sorry they think you're my sidekick...», she sniffed, looking up at him.

«It's not your f...».

« _Again with this story of the sidekick!_ », exploded Plagg, flying out of Tikki's and his hideout. «I'm so damn sick of it! It's not just insulting, offending and slandering, but it's also so so _so_ false! Chat Noir is a sidekick just as much as I am!».

«DON'T SAY A WORD!!!», he added, shooting Tikki a withering glance. The innocent little Kwami raised her hands in surrender.

«The fact that no one but Tikki and me knows the true story of the Miraculouses doesn't mean they can make it up from scratch!», he ranted on, gesticulating wildly. «It's seven generations of Chat Noirs I have to listen to this pathetic story!».

Adrien and Marinette stared frozen in surprise.

«Ehm... Plagg?».

«What do you want, Tikki!? Don't you see I'm busy talking!?».

«Maybe it would be better if you tell them the story, instead of rabbiting on on how little of it people know».

The counsel reached Plagg's mind just in time to prevent him from -as Tikki said- continuing to rabbit on. He took a couple of breaths, vainly trying to calm himself, before gesturing to the pink Kwami to start telling.

Adrien and Marinette shifted their gazes from a Kwami to the other.

«Very well... from where should I start? As you know... as you _don't_ know, the Miraculouses were created so many centuries ago. The Ladybug and the Black Cat, luck and bad luck, Creation and Destruction, blah blah blah, were the firsts. The most powerful. Together, they could even bring people back from Death».

Now they were staring not just in surprise, but in utter bewilderment.

«And they were just two. Not one more. Their wielders were Lady Tikki and Lord Plagg, two nobles of the ancient China. Lady Tikki was a powerful wizard, and she was the one to take the Ladybug Miraculous and imbue it with her powers. Lord Plagg, on the other hand, was China's most powerful warrior, and he infused his strength in the Black Cat Miraculous. Both nobles put too much of themselves in the Miraculouses, becoming one with them».

«Wait a second», said Marinette, raising a finger. «Lady Tikki... and Lord Plagg...?».

«Yes, we were the ones to create the Miraculouses», huffed Plagg, crossing his tiny paws. «Surprise surprise».

«Let me finish, Marinette», continued Tikki. «At the time, magic still flowed freely among the human race, but when we joined our vital energy to the earring and the ring, we became magic concentrate. Our Miraculouses were powerful... too powerful».

«You mean they attracted too many power-thirsty madmen?».

«No. I mean they were far too powerful. So much power wasn't needed, if concentrated in just one point. The world needed strong guardians here and there, not two basically omnipotent beings in just one point». She hummed thoughtfully. «So we decided to bring more people in. First we created the Turtle Miraculous, bonding it with a scholar called Weyzz, that was destined to be worn by the Miraculous Guardian. Currently, Mr Fu».

«Mister Fu?».

«Exactly. Then we created the Butterfly Miraculous. Nooroo, its Kwami was a king, but I don't recall of which kingdom». She grumbled. «Then the Fox, the Wolf, the Scorpion, the Bee, the...».

«Tikki!», scolded Plagg. «You're rambling. Get on with it».

«Well, we divided our powers among many others Miraculouses. Even if ours are strongest ones, now they are also infinitely less powerful than when we first created it», continued Tikki. «However, to return to the Chat-Noir-as-a-sidekick story, it's false. Ladybug is the only one to be able to purify the Akumas and Lucky Charm is extremely powerful, yes, but don't forget that Plagg and I are balanced after the Yin and Yang principle. As ironic as it can sound, Chat is _really_ Ladybug's knight. In sheer strength, speed, agility he surpasses Ladybug».

Astonished silence.

«Well...», said Tikki, glancing at her black companion. « _Whydon'tyouanswertheirquestionthanksbye!_ ».

«Traitor!», he called after her, but she was already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry sorry sorry.  
> In this days I'm hyper busy learning four things at the same time and I could start writing this just yesterday.  
> Hope I'll be forgiven,   
> Sorry Sorry Sorry


End file.
